Fate Perfect Zero
by InfernalChaos
Summary: Gilgamesh was the said to be the strongest Heroic Spirit. If he had gotten serious, the Fourth Holy Grail War would have ended in a single night. Therefore, to even the playing field, the Holy Grail uses all the stored magic in it to summon six other Heroic Spirits on par with, if not stronger, than Gilgamesh. Let the Fourth Holy Grail War begin!
1. 01: Manifestation of Legends

**Title: **Fate Perfect Zero

**Author: **InfernalChaos

**Disclaimer: **This work utilizes characters, places, themes, and other such ideas from various anime, games, books, and movies. The said games, books, and movies serve as inspiration for this work of fiction. The author lays no claim on the characters, places, themes, and ideas which may be presented in this work. No money is being made in this work.

**Authors Note: **This work of fiction was inspired by other similar works. To a name a few honourable mentions would be, The Infamous Mans: Fate Zero Sense, and a work called Fate Revolution of Dice, by Augustino Alighieri. I extend my gratitude to those who would read this work. I extend, too, a warning, that this is my first fanfiction, and thus may be found lacking. I hope that you who read this may be understanding, and kindly point out any mistakes I may make, and I will surely rectify them to the best of my ability.

**Summary: **Gilgamesh was the said to be the strongest Heroic Spirit. If he had gotten serious, the Fourth Holy Grail War would have ended in a single night. Therefore, to even the playing field, the Holy Grail uses all the stored magic in it to summon six other Heroic Spirits on par with, if not stronger, than Gilgamesh.

**Chapter 01: Manifestation of Legends**

**-Tohsaka Manor-**

Tohsaka Tokiomi could only stare in awe at the being that had come before him. In response to his summons, the Grail had actually given him what could only be considered as the strongest servant. Clad in golden armour, his golden hair flickered with the breeze, as his crimson eyes turned upwards in a condescending smirk.

"So, you are the mongrel that dared to summon me? Make no mistake, mongrel, though you may hold the Command Seals; know who the true Master is in this situation."

The Tohsaka master gracefully knelt down on one knee, and extended his hand to the servant.

"Our contract has been completed. I who hold the title of Master, Tohsaka Tokiomi, will endeavour to serve you, King of Heroes, Servant Archer. By your command, I shall obtain for us the Holy Grail."

"Humph. You amuse me. Very well, you may live. Let us see if this era shall provide me any worthwhile entertainment."

And so, with the summoning of this greatest of heroes, the Fourth Holy Grail War had begun.

**-The Holy Grail-**

The Holy Grail. It was an omnipotent wish granting device, capable of utilizing magic beyond that known to man. Every 60 years, a war was held for its possession. Yet, none of the previous three wars had a winner. Therefore, the accumulated magical energy needed for twenty-one servants had been stored inside the Holy Grail. This energy, pent up for close to two hundred years, needed to be released.

The summoning of Servant Archer provided a respite to the Grail, yet only briefly. It was not enough to relieve all the energy inside the Grail. And, if the catalyst of the other summoners were to be taken into account, this Gilgamesh would destroy the competition.

This could not be allowed. Therefore, in order to release the energy pent up, and to avoid a slaughter instead of a Grail War, the Grail this time reached out not only through time, as it had done in the past, yet rather through space. It chose the six heroes, six with the power to battle the King of Heroes on equal footing.

Saber, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, Caster, and Assassin.

Arturia, Diarmuid, Iskander, Lancelot, Bluebeard, and Hassan.

These were to be the original Servants. Yet none, save maybe Saber, could stand on equal ground with the King of Heroes. Therefore, they were scrapped, and six others were chosen. Six others, with power beyond imagining.

Thus started the War between the greatest of heroes. Each one to be summoned was a legend in their own right. And so, on that night began the summoning of the perfect seven servants.

**-The Einzberns-**

In the castle of the Einzbern's, Emiya Kiritsugu examined summoning circle scribed on the ceremony floor.

"Would such a simple ritual suffice?"

Irisviel Von Einzbern, the wife of Kiritsugu, was surprised that the preparation for the summoning a heroic spirit was so…plain.

"The summoning of the Servants never needed an extravagant ceremony. So long as the circle is there, and the command seals, the Servant will appear. It is not, after all, one's strength as a magus that summons the Servant, rather it is the Grail itself. The Master simply provides a conduit for the Grails power."

Kiritsugu said, as he placed the Holy Relic, Avalon, on the altar.

"According to this, victory is within our grasp."

**-The Matou's-**

"Have you memorized the incantation for the summoning ritual?"

A short, balding man asked to another man, one whose hair was white, clad in a blue jacket. The short man was Matou Zouken, the head of the ancient Matou family, and he addressed the question to his nephew Matou Kariya, who nodded in the darkness.

"Good. But midway through the summoning, I want you to add to more lines of incantations."

"What do you mean?"

Zouken gave a twisted smile in response to Kariya's question.

"Isn't it obvious? Kariya, you should know that as a magus, your abilities are below the other Masters. It will affect the Servant's abilities. If that's the case, we can only amend it through the Servants class."

"Give your Servant the attribute of _Mad Enhancement_. As the Master of Berserker, I want you to fight for me with all you've got."

**-Waver Velvet-**

Waver nearly cried out in joy when the seals had appeared on his hand. The Grail had chosen him. That meant he was worthy. Nothing could match this moment of elation, he decided, save for winning the Grail himself.

He set about preparing the ritual, taking care so as not to damage the relic. With this, he would summon the strongest Servant, and surely win.

Little did he know, the relic would matter very little.

**-The Summoning-**

All across the land, these Magi conducted their rituals. They each had different reasons for wanting the Grail, each had different desires. Yet in them burned one inherent thing. Each them had passion, determination. A determination to relentlessly pursue their goal.

So the Grail heard, and answered their plea.

"_Let thy body rest under my dominion, let my fate rest in thy blade"_

Waver felt the Prana grow and encompass his body. He felt the ever familiar slithering of his Magic Circuits, a feeling no Magi could escape from. Yet he endured the pain, and continued the chant.

"_If though submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond."_

"_I make my oath here. I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heaven. I am that person who is covered with the evil of all Hades."_

Kiritsugu felt the pain overwhelm him. His Circuits throbbed with the pain, connecting him to the ritual. His body had forgotten all function as a human being. He had become a conduit instead for Prana. Yet he still continued chanting.

"_Yet, thou serves with thine eyes clouded in chaos. Thou bound in the cage of madness. I am he who commands those chains."_

Kariya's limbs twitched in spasms as blood ran from his eyes. The pain from the worms slithering inside of his body almost drove him mad. Yet, he would not shirk from this duty he bore. For Sakura, he would win the Grail.

"_Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words, come past thy restraining rings, and be though hands that protect the balance. I ask of thee, my Servant, come forth!"_

Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald finished the ritual, his Circuits on fire. His head swam, and all he could feel was satisfaction. He had done it. With this, he had summoned his Servant, Diarmuid of the Radiant Face.

The smoke receded…

"What…what is this…is this some kind of joke!?"

He was not Diarmuid. Far from it. The man wore robes as black as night, and in his thin hands he clutched a staff, adorned with a dragons claw. He drew back his hood, and Kayneth recoiled in horror. The man's face was hideous. Thin, gaunt, and it somehow had a metallic, golden sheen to it. His eyes, with pupils the shape of hourglasses, looked at him, mockingly. Then he spoke, in a soft, silky voice.

"I am the Servant Caster. I ask, are you my Master?"

Kiritsugu looked in awe at the rituals culmination. He had not summoned the King of Knights, he deduced.

"Who are you?"

The man, clad in a black trench coat, stepped forward. He had silver hair, going past his waist, and his eyes glowed green with power. In his left hand, he clutched a long sword, almost 8 foot long.

"Servant Saber. Upon your summons, I have come forth to act as your Servant, Master."

Kariya was proud of himself. Bloodied and in pain, he had, however, managed to draw the card that would win him this war. Emerging from the darkness was a man clad in charcoal suit, adorned with a red coat, hat, and glasses. He wore white gloves, with a five pointed seal drawn into them. His eyes glowed red, and he smiled at Kariya.

"I am Berserker. And you are my Master."

Behind him, Zouken laughed.

"Yes Kariya. Now go, and with Berserker, destroy your enemies and bring me the Grail."

A man stepped out of the summoning circle, and Waver could only stare in awe. He was perfect. That was the only way to describe him. His physical features were beautiful, painstakingly so, and his ears were pointed. With such beauty, and the way he radiated power, none could mistake him for anything but an elf.

He drew his sword, and raised it to the sky. The blade was sapphire, forged from some material now lost to man. The man knelt, and offering his swords hilt to Waver, he exclaimed.

"I can serve proficiently as Archer, Saber, or Caster, yet for this war I have been summoned to fight as Rider. From this moment, I am your sword. Vel einradhin iet ai Shur'tugal, I shall win you the Holy Grail.

Waver felt the magic pulse at Rider's strange words, and in that moment, he felt as if he would truly win this war.

And so, upon this night of Fate, the Servants have gathered together. Each one a legend, each one powerful. Incomplete though the roster may be, at that moment, the Fourth Holy Grail War had truly commenced.

**And so the First Night Ended, and Legends came forth. The Second Night shall bring more.**

**Closing Notes:** The First Chapter ends here. In my own, honest opinion, the chapter was too short, and too lacking. Please review, and inform me how to improve my work. If you can, try guessing the identity of the Servants. Hopefully it wasn't too obvious. Once more, I endeavour you, dear reader, to review.

_Notes:_

Vel einradhin iet ai Shur'tugal-Upon my word as a Rider


	2. 02: Unexpected Occurrences

**Title: **Fate Perfect Zero

**Author: **InfernalChaos

**Disclaimer: **This work utilizes characters, places, themes, and other such ideas from various anime, games, books, and movies. The said games, books, and movies serve as inspiration for this work of fiction. The author lays no claim on the characters, places, themes, and ideas which may be presented in this work. No money is being made in this work.

**Authors Note: **Most of the people were able to accurately guess the identity of the Servants. Well, some were incorrect about Caster though, I guess he wasn't as well known as the others. Anyway, in this chapter, I tried my best in order to put headings when there's a change in POV as you requested. Please review more, and tell me any mistakes in this chapter so I might improve.

**-Chapter 02: Unexpected Occurrences-**

"_Fill Fill, Fill, Fill. With each repetition, four times – eh, five times? Err, only when it's full, break it up. Yeah."_

__Uryu Ryunosuke chanted as he drew a magic circle on the wooden floor. Make no mistake though, Ryunosuke was no magician. He was a serial killer, one who found pleasure in the art of killing. The circle on the floor was drawn with none other than the blood of the victims he had recently used to create his beautiful art.

"_Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill, Fill. There, five times alright? Okay!"_

Ryunosuke turned toward the corner, where there lay a young kid gagged with a rope. Tears streamed down the boy's face as he stared at the torn up bodies of his family.

"Hey – boy, do you believe in demons?"

The boy could not reply, as he continued to shiver in fear.

"You know, newspapers keep calling me a demon. But, if there were a real demon, I'd wanna try and talk with them a little. You know, 'Sup, name's Uryu Ryunosuke, and I'm a demon!' How's that introduction, hm? But then, if demons did exist, wouldn't it be stupid not to have anything to sacrifice? So, kid…if a demon does come, would you mind being my sacrifice?"

The boy could understand well enough Ryunosuke's idea, and started struggling and crying even harder.

Then, pain. Pain lit up inside Ryunosuke, as a stinging sensation pervaded through his body. On his hand appeared a symbol, which appeared to be a scythe, inside an upside down triangle, encompassed in a circle.

"Huh..?"

Normally, this would not happen. Ryunosuke had no training as a Magus, knew nothing about summoning. Yet, all that was needed for the Grail was a circle. The Grail itself did the summoning. Therefore, if the Grail deemed him worthy, even someone without training could become a Master.

Ryunosuke turned around in surprise as he felt a rush of power fill the air behind him. The circle drawn on the ground began to glow, and a violent wind rushed throughout the house.

A flash. Mist. Then sounds like thunder.

Through the haze, a voice called out…

"Tch. So, you're the fucker who summoned me, huh?"

The mist dissipated. The magic circle was now blackened, as if the blood was burnt up. From inside the circle, the owner of the voice stepped forward.

A man with silver hair stepped forth. He wore a black cloak which was open, revealing he wore no shirt, only pants. The cloak was decorated with red clouds. On his neck he wore an amulet; an upside down triangle inside a circle. On his back was a large, three bladed scythe.

"So, I'm here as Lancer. Now who the fuck are you?"

Ryunosuke was puzzled. When the summoning circle gave out flashes of light and emitted smoke, he had expected a demon to appear. But this…this was an ordinary human. Was he really a demon?

"Sup. Name's Uryu Ryunosuke. My hobbies are murder. I especially like kids and young women. Well, let's save the talk for later…"

Ryunosuke waved his hand and pointed to the kid tied up in the corner.

"Well, do you wanna eat that?"

The man stared at Ryunosuke with an impassive face. He began to grow worried. Did he do something wrong? Was he too presumptuous of the demon?

All of a sudden, the man, Lancer, laughed.

"Heh…hehehe…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Ryunosuke was taken aback at the sudden ecstasy of the man.

"Jashin, you truly are a great god! My Master is already inclined to you, Jashin-sama! And I already have a fuckin' sacrifice right here! Hahahahaha!"

Fast as lightning, he whipped out his scythe, and swung it towards the child. The blade of this scythe was not meant to kill. It was a not weapon for death. It was a weapon with only a single purpose, to draw blood. No more, no less.

The weapon grazed the boy's cheek, and Lancer licked the blood off of the weapon.

Ryunosuke was somehow disappointed, was that it?

Suddenly, Lancer turned to Ryunosuke.

"Now kid! Watch me sacrifice to the great Jashin!"

"_Ritual of Blood-Sacrifice to the great god Jashin!"_

A circle appeared suddenly under Lancer's feet. His skin turned pitch black and white bones were visible on the skin. Then, without warning, he stabbed himself in the stomach.

Then the kid cried out. A hole had appeared in the kid's stomach, similar to the one on Lancers.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"

Lancer repeatedly stabbed himself, and holes kept appearing on the kid's body.

Ryunosuke was deeply moved. For someone who considered himself a professional killer, he felt like an amateur compared to this guy here. He laughed out loud.

"HAHA! Cool! That's wicked! Man that was so cool! Come on man; show me more of your cool killings!"

Lancer, now back in human form, looked at Ryunosuke and spoke.

"Heh, I have found you a new follower Jashin-sama! I'm startin' to like ya, kid."

Thus was the last slot for the Grail War filled. This was how the murderer called Uryu Ryunosuke found himself with command seals and the Servant Lancer. The wheels of fate start to turn.

**-Tohsaka Manor-**

The Servant of the night, Assassin, crept quietly through the darkness. He waited in the cover of the trees, spying upon the Tohsaka manor. Yes, his master's plan was quite clear to him.

'_It is time, Assassin.'_

Kotomine Kirei's words reached the Servant, and there he began to move. Countless tendrils enveloped him, writhing, pulsating. As the tendrils calmed down, it revealed Assassin clad in armour of some sort. It was pitch-black, covered in spikes, and the face was blank.

Assassin jumped to the ground, creating a small crater as it absorbed his landing. The armour hampered his speed, but provided defensive capabilities. And, more importantly, it masked his face.

He made his way to the Tohsaka estate. Halfway to the front door, in the middle of the garden, a spear came flying at him out of the darkness. He jumped out of the way, and searched for the one who threw it.

No, there is no need to search.

On the roof of the Tohsaka residence, there stood a man. A golden shadow with such divine radiance, it put everything around it to shame.

"You dare to look at me. Impudent worm, die facing the ground like the worm that you are."

The air distorted behind the man. Numerous weapons appeared out of the air, not one of them same. Each one was different, each one possessed power, and each one had a history behind it. Most importantly, every weapon was a Noble Phantasm, pointed right at Assassin.

'I can't win'

That was Assassin's first instinctive thought. The man could only be a Servant, and the one guarding the Tohsaka manor could only be Tokiomi's. This Servant was none other than Archer.

At some unseen signal, the blades all came flying down at the Servant Assassin. He was ripped to shreds, the blades tearing into him mercilessly.

**-Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald-**

At first, Kayneth was doubtful about his Servant. Caster looked like a weak fool who could collapse at any given second. His _Strength _and _Endurance _were both ranked E, the lowest of the low.

But there was some consolation. His Noble Phantasm was ranked EX, and even though Caster did not show it to him, he knew it would be powerful enough to stop any other Servants. Truly, this war was theirs.

They were currently preparing bounded fields around the Ryuudou Temple, which could be considered the heart of Fuyuki's Spiritual Grounds. He and Caster had decided to make the place their base of operations, due to the converging of the leylines.

"_Casai morvok na timoralo, lagong tsarantam uvoi!"_

Kayneth's heart chilled upon hearing these words. The forest around the Temple suddenly twisted, as if they had taken on a life of their own. Mist appeared from out of nowhere and dark shades, spectres, and all sorts of horrible things rose from the ground. He grimaced and addressed his Servant.

"Caster, what is…all this?"

Caster sneered at his Master, and answered in a voice as chilling as the night.

"This is the curse of the Shoikan Grove, Master. None can pass save for the Master of the Past and Present, and those whom he wishes. You are protected, so long as you are my Master."

Kayneth nodded in confirmation, still chilled at the prospect of having to operate near these hideous things. Caster then spoke to what appeared to be a pair of eyes hovering in the darkness.

"Let no one save myself and my Master pass. This is of the utmost importance, shade."

Kayneth heard nothing, but from the slight nod of Casters head, he assumed only his Servant could hear those things.

"Come Caster. With your limited abilities for frontal combat, we will have to seek out another Servant to do our will. Let us go and see if there are any available Servants, hm?"

For a moment, Kayneth thought he saw a brief flash of anger in his Servant's eyes. Then it was gone, and only the usual mocking scorn was reflected.

"Yes, _Master_…"

With a hint of sarcasm, Caster addressed his Master. Then he spoke a word of magic, and they were instantly gone.

**-Waver Velvet-**

Waver was hurriedly walking along the road, with Rider accompanying him. He was quite confident that no Masters would attack him now, since it was daytime. Also, Assassin had been destroyed last night, so he wouldn't have to worry about what lay in the shadows…for now.

'_Master'_

He heard his Servant speak through their link.

'_There is another Master and Servant nearby. Be on your guard.'_

Waver's face hardened. Could it be they wished to start a battle here? Or was this simply coincidence?

'_Where are they Rider?'_

'_Right in front of us. The man across the street is most definitely a Master'_

Waver scanned the street, and froze in terror at the sight of his teacher. There, standing smugly was Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. Then, Kayneth gestured for Waver to follow them.

'_Should we go, Master?'_

Waver steeled himself, and then nodded an affirmative to his Servant. They cautiously followed Kayneth, all the while looking out for traps.

They eventually reached the outskirts of the city, and there they felt a strong bounded field. The bounded field was designed to ward off any listeners, and prevent anyone else from entering.

Rider materialized in front of Waver, while a man in a black robe appeared behind Kayneth.

"Well, well, Waver Velvet. I didn't expect you of all people to be participating in the Holy Grail War. So you were the one who stole my catalyst then. It looks like your ineptitude as a Master prevented you from summoning Iskander the Great."

Rider stepped forward. "Enough of this! Why have you brought us here?"

"Why, I merely request an alliance from you both."

"Whaa…whaaaaat?"

Waver could hardly believe it. His former teacher was requesting an alliance from him? Did this mean they recognized his strength as a Magus now?

"And what's in it for us?" Rider asked.

"Well, I would pardon you for your previous actions at the Clock Tower Waver Velvet. And, should you survive this War, I will of course grant you some, _privileges_, which only the head of the illustrious Archibalds may give. So what say you, Waver Velvet?"

Waver and Rider were in deep thought. The advantage of working with another Servant was great, but there was also the fact that they might betray them at any given moment. Talking amongst themselves, they eventually reached a conclusion.

"Alright, Lord El-Melloi. We'll work with you, but if you betray us…"

"Oh, on no account would I betray you, Waver Velvet. I swear this upon my honour as a Magus. We will contact you should we require your assistance Waver Velvet. Until then, goodbye."

With a word of magic, the Servant and Master disappeared.

**The Second Night closes. The Third shall bring battle, the first in this War.**


	3. 03: Deceptive Immortality

**Title: **Fate Perfect Zero

**Author: **InfernalChaos

**Disclaimer: **This work utilizes characters, places, themes, and other such ideas from various anime, games, books, and movies. The said games, books, and movies serve as inspiration for this work of fiction. The author lays no claim on the characters, places, themes, and ideas which may be presented in this work. No money is being made in this work.

**Authors Note: **Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, readers. I present to you the Third Chapter of Fate Perfect Zero. Please do review to tell me if it was good or bad. This was the first fight scene I did, so I don't know if it is any good. Once more, please review so I may know what to improve on. Hopefully this Chapter satisfies you readers.

**-Chapter 03: Deceptive Immortality-**

**-The Church-**

A heavy atmosphere hung over the Church.

An hour had passed since Father Kotomine Risei had sent up a summoning signal to call all the Masters in the Holy Grail War. None of them came. In their place, five familiars had gathered. Apart from Casters delinquent Master, who could not see the signal, and the "retired" Kotomine Kirei, all the Masters had representatives.

Risei determined three familiars to be the representatives of the Tohsaka, Einzbern, and Matou. One was undoubtedly belonging to Lord El-Melloi, and the last to a foreign Magus who had not registered with the Church.

Father Risei faced the congregation of familiars and spoke.

"The War of the Holy Grail is currently in great crisis. Ignoring the obligation of the Holy Grail, one Master and a Heroic Spirit have misused the power granted to them. We have determined that Lancer and his Master are behind the serial killings recently happening in Fuyuki City. This is a severe violation of the act of secrecy of the Grail War. Therefore, I use my authority as supervisor to change the rules of the Grail War temporarily."

As he said this, Father Risei pulled up his right sleeve, revealing his arm.

It was covered with what appeared to be tattoos, but the participants of the War knew it for what it truly was.

"These are the Command Seals leftover from the previous War. With my authority, I can transfer these seals to anyone. Therefore, I order all Masters to stop their hostilities. Everyone should seek to eliminate Lancer immediately. The Master who manages to do so will receive from me an extra Command Seal."

The sound of familiars hurriedly leaving to report to their Masters was soon heard. The Church was now free of any watchers.

**-Lancer-**

Underneath Fuyuki City, there ran a large sewage system. Unknown to most people, however, beside the sewers there was a large, empty, cavernous space. Unused, isolated, unknown, it served as a perfect hiding spot.

Yet should someone come down to this place, they would no doubt be horrified at the renovation it had undergone.

Piled on the floor were bodies. If one were to look closer upon these bodies, one would see they had been mutilated in the worst possible ways. One little girl had her organs displayed, spilling out onto the floor. A young boy lay in a seal of blood drawn into the floor, as if he were sacrificed in some sacrilegious ritual. On and on the atrocities continued, each mutilation more horrible than the last. The floor ran red with blood, silent screams of unadulterated horror was etched forevermore on the faces of these unfortunate individuals.

In the middle of this carnage, two men were present. Their faces were unperturbed, so one might call them monsters. For truly, only monsters would not be moved at this much death.

One man, a silver haired man clad in black robes, was kneeling on a seal drawn with blood. In his hands he clutched a pendant, the symbol of an inverted triangle inside a circle. His lips moved back and forth, he seemed for all intents and purposes to be praying.

Another man, dressed in remarkably ordinary clothes, stood by a long table. Being careful so as not to disrupt the other man, he was intently studying several pieces of red, raw, bloodied meat.

This thing he was studying was human intestines.

The man, named Uryu Ryunosuke, picked up a tuning fork. Whilst staring intently at the intestines before him, he struck the fork hard on the table. Before the clear sound emitted by the fork faded away, Ryunosuke poked the intestines with his other hand.

A sound, agonizing, came from the intestines. No, rather not from the intestines, but from the owner of the intestines. A young girl, sobbing incessantly, was tied up on the long table. A cut on her abdomen laid bare the organs now being fondled with by Ryunosuke.

"Ah, so this here is _'Mi'_.

So saying, he marked the intestines with a pin. Several other marks, denoting musical notes, were stuck on the quivering organs.

The girls organs, marked with pins, was a twisted mockery meant to resemble musical instruments.

"One more time, _'Do Re Mi'._

Disappointingly, the sounds made were different from the marked notes.

Ryunosuke sighed unhappily, disappointed that his work of art did not go as planned.

"Hm, what a failure."

So saying, he threw away the silver tuning fork. It emitted loud, ringing noises as it clattered onto the blood-stained floor.

"Tch. Stop your damn whining already!"

It seemed the silver haired man had finished with his prayer, and had chosen that time to speak up.

"But I can't help it; my experiments just don't go as I want it to. Can't you teach me how to do those cool things like you, huh, Mister Lancer?"

Ryunosuke asked the man, now identified as Lancer. His tone was like that of a young child speaking to his teacher.

"Heh! So, you wanna learn the ways of god, is that right?"

Lancer asked the young man in a confident tone.

"The…ways of…god?"

Ryunosuke's reply was far from confident, however. To hear that this man, his idol in the art of murder, worshipped god was a big surprise to Ryunosuke.

"I didn't take you as the religious type, Mister Lancer. But, isn't god just like an author in some novel? He might love his creations, sure, but I don't think he would be the type to interfere with them. He loves what they do, that's why things like sorrow, and murder, and bloodshed exist, because even if it might sadden him, this god loves things like that too. If god was the interfering type, then those things wouldn't exist!"

Upon hearing the words of his Master, Lancer was troubled a great deal. He had believed Ryunosuke to already possess a rudimentary understanding of his god, so it was troubling to him to hear such heathen views sprout from him.

"So kid, lemme' just get this straight. You think that god is saddened by bloodshed, but he loves it too. What a fucking laugh! That is bullshit! You describe a heathen god! For my Jashin-Sama, I will teach you the way! Better be fucking grateful kid!"

So saying, Lancer rebuked the philosophy that Ryunosuke had just given him.

"So, what are you saying then, Mister Lancer?"

"There is only one god, and that is Jashin-Sama! Jashin is another level of existence, and to reach him, we, his followers, must rouse him from his sleep. To do this, we pile corpses upon corpses, till the sacrifices awaken Jashin! It is our fucking duty to spread this word! Anything less than utter destruction, than obliteration, than pure slaughter, is a sin in the eyes of Jashin-Sama!"

Lancer gave his speech with such passion that Ryunosuke was moved at his words.

"So, you're saying that to worship this Jashin, we need to sacrifice corpses?"

"Yes! You're good at this, kid. But we must also sacrifice our own blood. If one sacrifices enough, he is rewarded with the honour of being an Acolyte of Jashin-Sama, and might receive the gift I myself received!"

The solemnity and passion in Lancers speech moved Ryunosuke to depths previously unknown to his soul. His soul stirred at this new religion Lancer was presenting to him.

"So, you mean to say that if we kill enough people, Jashin rewards us?"

"That's right, brat!"

"But then, what about all those people who were called serial killers? Why weren't they rewarded?"

"To be rewarded by Jashin, one must understand Jashin! All your killings must be done in the name of Jashin, or else he won't give two shits about it!"

At this moment, Ryunosuke was beginning to understand his companion's fascination with Jashin. To think, such a splendid religion could exist in this world! He must spread word of this new religion to everyone! With this, he could take his art into whole new levels!

At that moment, an explosion occurred. A blast of such power, that it shook the subterranean cavern upon which the two men, no, two monsters, were situated. At that moment, an atmosphere so dark engulfed the air. An evil more twisted than the ones present seemed to be advancing upon them.

"Heh, a Servant set off my trap! And that bastard is coming here now, huh. Hey kid, get the fuck outta here, and stay the fuck outta my way, got it!? Take the other exit, now."

The Servant Lancer addressed the young man that was his Master. While he was a priest of Jashin, this man was also a Servant. His combat abilities were nothing to be scoffed at, and he was a master in the art of killing. Thus, he could sense when something was strong enough to prove a threat to him.

"Huh? I dunno' what's goin' on, but sure, I guess."

Once more, Lancer was reminded of the fact that his Master was not a proper Magus. While the Uryu family had magic in its blood, Uryu Ryunosuke had not received any sort of training as a Magus. He was therefore, ignorant to the nature of the Holy Grail War.

When Lancer had ensured his Master had safely gotten away, he began to make preparations for the upcoming battle. He summoned to his side his lance, and knelt down on the floor. Clutching the pendant to his forehead, he began to mutter a quick prayer.

"Jashin-Sama, allow me to offer you the soul of this coming heathen as a sacrifice…"

**-Matou Kariya-**

Illuminated by the pale moonlight, there stood a man seemingly out of a horror movie. His hair white, half of his face frozen in a caricature of perfect despair, was the representative Master of the Matou's, Matou Kariya.

Accompanying this spectre of death was a ghost a hundred times deadlier. Outlined in the crimson coat he wore, he was darkness, darker than darkness itself; that was the Servant of Madness, Berserker.

"Wait here Master, and I shall destroy this Servant for you."

The Servant spoke in a deceivingly smooth voice.

"Go…and kill…Berserker."

In complete opposite of this being that radiated strength, the Matou Master spoke, his voice broken.

"Gladly, Master!"

Once the Servant of Madness had left, Kariya allowed himself to lean against the wall for support. He knew that if he showed an ounce of weakness against this Servant, he would be dead. Therefore it was necessary for him to put on a show of strength in front of this one.

'_Yes, with the power of this Servant, I can rescue Sakura! All I need to do…is hold on…till the end."_

Such thoughts were what occupied the mind of Matou Kariya.

Then, not even five minutes after Berserker's entry into the enemy territory, pain wracked Kariya's body. His artificial Magic Circuits, the Crest Worms, throbbed and writhed about. He fell to the ground, coughing up worms all the while.

"Damn…that Berserker! He used his…Noble Phantasm already!? Is the…opponent that powerful!?"

The pain in Kariya's body was becoming more intense, as Berserker used up more of his Prana to supply his Noble Phantasm.

If Kariya had not been wracked in pain that moment, he might have noticed the emergence of a figure from the enemy's base. Had he noticed, said person might not have been able to take him by surprise and stab him in the stomach.

His version blurred, as he saw the image of a knife stuck in his chest. He followed it to the hilt, then to the hand that held it. There! Command Seals, glowing brightly on the hand that held the knife. Deducing it was the Master of Lancer; Kariya shot his hand up and prepared to execute the Matou magecraft that he despised.

Swarms of flying worms shot out from Kariya. His Circuits throbbed even more violently, pulsing at overuse. The pain threatened to drown him out. Through his hazed vision, he could see the enemy Magus jump back from the swarm of worms.

To Kariya's immense surprise, the enemy did not utter any spells, nor utilize any mysteries. He merely brought his hands up in a vain attempt to defend himself, slashing at his familiars with a knife on his person. To see this man, not even a Magus, participate in the Holy Grail War, this enraged Kariya.

Why!? He had sacrificed so much, for the sake of entering this competition and obtaining the Grail! And this man in front of him, not even a Magus, was given the same honour! For Kariya, it served as a mockery of the pain he had gone through, of the sacrifices he made. Most of all, for him, it served as a mockery to the pain Sakura had gone through. How could this man have beaten him!?

Truly, if Matou Kariya and Uryu Ryunosuke were to go in a frontal battle, Matou Kariya would win. But, there was one difference between Kariya and Ryunosuke. One was a Magus, the other a killer. The killer was infinitely superior to the Magus in the art of killing.

Kariya's bugs seemed to die down, as the last of his Prana dwindled away. The pain of his Crest Worms had faded to a dull throb in the background, as his vision faded. He collapsed to the floor.

In front of him crouched Lancer's Master, Uryu Ryunosuke. His face was covered in scratches and stings, due to Kariya's earlier attack on him. He then spoke to Kariya.

"Hey, you know, that thing you did with the insects was kinda' cool! Name's Uryu Ryunosuke, by the way. No hard feelings man, but…"

At that point, he held up his right hand, containing the Command Seals.

"Well, Mister Lancer told me if I see anyone with marks like this, I should kill them. Then I have to cut off their hand, and give it to Mister Lancer. Well, that's that then."

After he had finished, the man took Kariya's limp right hand. He held the knife and prepared to cut off the hand.

"You, young boy, stop meddling in affairs that do not concern you."

That voice…Kariya…knew the owner of that voice.

The man in front of him, Uryu Ryunosuke, looked towards the dense patch of trees nearby.

"Who are you?"

"Hmph. Pathetic, Kariya. To be taken out by one who is not even a Magus…I expected more from the Matou house. Have we truly fallen this low?"

It seemed the newcomer was not addressing Ryunosuke, but Kariya. Kariya fought through the haze in his head, fighting to recognize that voice. It was so familiar, yet the haze of pain obstructed his thoughts.

Buzzing.

Screaming.

That was…

The Matou Magic. Someone had used it, and the man, Uryu Ryunosuke, was now dead.

Only one person could use that Magecraft…

Said person walked into Kariya's line of view. Smirking, the old man, for that was what he was, an old man, talked down to Kariya.

"Such a powerful Servant was wasted on a weak Magus like you Kariya. The Matou's might have won with such a powerful Servant, if only you were not the Master. Oh well. You had better call back your dog, before you die from Prana exhaustion."

The old man then walked away.

Kariya's head was now clear. The haze was gone, replaced by burning hatred. That voice, he knew it, the voice of…

"Zouken…you BASTARD!"

Mustering his mental strength, Kariya focused on survival. His Servant was using too much power. He focused on the Command Seal…

'_By this Command Seal, come to me, Berserker!'_

Space distorted, and the Servant of Madness stood by his side. Kariya's vision was fading. He spoke, in a weak voice.

"Get me...away...from here..."

And Kariya knew no more.

**-Berserker-**

Berserker had barely gotten his Master away from the trap that Lancer had set up. Upon their entry to Fuyuki's sewage system, around two dozen paper tags of all things blew up in their face. To say the least, Berserker was very eager to tear into the Servant before him.

He had ensured that his Master had stayed at the entrance of the sewers, not daring to bring him into the battle. Making sure his Master was hidden, he proceeded to advance through the dark, damp, waterways.

As the Servant of Madness neared his destination, a familiar scent wafted into his nose.

"He…he he…HEHEHEHEHEHE! This scent, so close I can almost taste it. It is unmistakably, that of BLOOD!"

Upon scenting the life-giving liquid, Berserker had given in to his vampiric impulses. To meet in battle an opponent who could spill this much blood, the prospect was exciting. Turning into mist, he rushed forward to reach his opponent.

In the middle of the cavern in which he and his Master had made their studio for their art, the Servant of the Lance stood. In his hand, he held a large, three-bladed scythe. Under his feet was engraved in blood the symbol of Jashin. Without a doubt, this Servant was prepared to meet his opponent.

There, at the entrance, the Servant of Madness made himself known. Clad in a charcoal suit, draped over it a red coat, he stood imposingly. He wore a red hat and glasses, through which his eyes glowed a deep crimson hue. On his hands he wore white gloves, drawn upon it a seal, a five-pointed star.

This monster, he suddenly smiled.

"So then, you are Lancer."

It was not a question. Rather, he was affirming this fact.

From within his coat, Berserker drew forth a weapon. It was gun. Seemingly impossible, it was a gun that had ascended to the level of being a conceptual weapon.

It was one of a pair the Servant had used in his life, or rather, his un-life. The Casull. Its bullets were crafted from blessed mercury, made to tackle monsters, more specifically, vampires. It weighed much more than what a normal gun should be. In short, this long silver pistol was tailor-made for Berserker himself.

Lips turning upward into a cruel smile, Berserker pulled the trigger.

The bullets were fast. Yet, impossibly, Lancer seemed to be even faster. Though his weapon seemed cumbersome and heavy, he swung the scythe around with speed that betrayed his weapons looks.

Lancer deflected all the bullets, then, swinging the scythe high above his head, he threw it at Berserker.

Undeterred, Berserker merely aimed and shot. He shot it with unerring accuracy at the weapon that was flying straight at him. The force of the bullet was so strong it managed to repel the scythe.

Lancer reeled in his scythe using a rope that had been attached to the handle. The short skirmish had taken no less than five seconds.

At that moment, Berserkers mouth split open in a savage grin.

"HAHA! Such reflexes, Lancer! Truly, you're status as a Heroic Spirit was well earned! Now, show me more!"

So saying, Berserker released a torrent of bullets at the other Servant.

"Ah, fuck!"

Lancer swore, as he saw the barrage of fire coming straight at him. He wielded his scythe with such uncanny grace, managing to deflect or dodge most of the gunfire.

Realizing he was bound to lose should he continue on the defensive, Lancer batted away the next few bullets, then ran straight at Berserker.

He used his large scythe as a shield, blocking most of the projectiles. A few managed to lodge themselves in Lancer's limbs, yet he continued on unerringly.

In a span of less than five seconds, Lancer had crossed the distance between him and Berserker, and impaled the other Servant through the chest.

A torrent of blood flowed from Berserker. Lancer watched with glee, and a little bit of disappointment, as the battle ended so quickly.

"Heh serves you right for fucking with me. Now, accept this sacrifice Jash – what the fuck!?"

Lancer exclaimed as a surprisingly not dead Berserker grabbed the scythe, which was still impaled into his stomach. Pushing himself forward, he aimed his pistol at Lancers head, and laughed.

"HAHAHA! To think, you managed to kill me so quickly! But the fun for you ends here!"

Berserker pulled the trigger and unleashed three rounds of blessed mercury point blank at Lancers face.

His grip on the scythe went slack, and he fell onto the ground.

"Here I thought you were going to be a challenge to me…oh well, I guess dogs can't help being dogs."

Berserker pulled the scythe out from his chest, and casually tossed on top of his opponent's downed body. Amazingly, his wounds instantaneously healed; to the degree that even his clothes were fixed. It was as if the wound had never existed.

As he prepared to leave, an unexpected voice called out.

"Hey, bastard, unloading a gun at my face like that, don't you know it fucking hurts!?"

He turned around to the sight of Lancer standing up, in a fighting position, despite the headshot that by all means should've killed him. The hole in his head was still there, but it acted as no deterrent to the Servant.

"Ohohohoho, so then, I am not the only one who is unkillable here it seems. HAHAHAHA! Finally, a worthy opponent. Time to get serious, then."

The Mad Servant then brought up his hands to cover his face, concealing everything but an eye. In an ominous voice, he began to chant.

"_Releasing Control Art Restriction Systems Levels Three…Two…One. Approval of Situation A recognized. Commencing Cromwell Invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent."_

Lancer was suffocated. The darkness, already thick around this Servant, was now getting even thicker. From the darkness emerged…something. It was shaped like that of a man, but it could not be a man. Clad in a black straightjacket, the distinctive white gloves still on him, there was the monster that had caused this.

All over this monster, there could be seen the form of numerous eyes.

"What the fuck is this!?"

Tightening his grip on his scythe, Lancer could only watch as the darkness took the form of a human.

_'Fast!'_ That was the only word ran through Lancer's mind, as the darkness attacked him. If he had any doubt before as to the identity of the Servant, this wild, reckless, style of attack now confirmed it. This style of attacking with reckless abandon could only mean that he was the Servant Berserker.

Lancer barely had enough time to track his opponent's movements. Berserker truly fought like his class suggested. There was no style, no tactics involved. It was just one blow after another.

In theory, a formless style like this would be defeated by Lancers superior style. Yet he was getting overwhelmed due to the sheer speed of power of this mad darkness.

Up, down, right, left. Berserker's attacks came from all directions, simultaneously hitting Lancer.

"Ah, fuck this!"

Enraged, Lancer sliced Berserker in half, uncaring at the opening left by his offense.

He quickly jumped back to regain some energy as Berserker healed himself.

It was a mistake.

Lancer should never have jumped back. If he had not, he would not have gazed upon the monstrosity that was the Servant Berserker.

He realized now that Berserker was able to hit him simultaneously in multiple places was because he had multiple arms. Forming out of a shadowy matter, the arms swayed in rhythm with Berserkers deranged swaying. It was like looking at some demented spider, a spider without a soul. Blood dripped from the hands that were swaying about…

Wait…

Blood…

Berserkers wounds regenerated, so why would there be blood?

Lancer looked down, and saw his body was filled with wounds. There were holes in several places, some flesh wounds, mostly fatal. He must not have noticed due to the heat of the battle.

"Ah…fuck me…"

"Hehehehehehehehehe!"

A demented laughter escaped from Berserkers lips. Lancer looked down to see him crouching on the ground.

The monsters tongue slid out.

Red skimmed over crimson, as his tongue lapped up the blood spilled by Lancer.

"What…what the fuck is this!?"

Lancer could only gaze in horror, as the monster drank the blood like a dog would drink milk.

"Mhhhhm. This taste…so delicious. It makes me wonder, Lancer. Your body is immortal, but what about your soul? Hm? Shall we find out!?"

Black and white.

That was all that filled Lancer's vision, as Berserkers right arm morphed into a twisted caricature of a dog. A dog with rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth, and innumerable white eyes upon its countenance.

The dog sprang forth.

Lancer blocked it with his scythe, but that damnable dog merely twisted and turned, once more aiming for him.

Block. Cut. Strike. Block. Cut. Strike.

The entirety of the battle seemed to compromise of these few words. Whatever he would do, the dog managed to get past his defences. If he cut if off, it would grow back. This was a battle Lancer knew he would lose.

Riiiiip!

The dog had bitten down on Lancers right arm.

Riiiiip!

The dog pulled back, the arm still in its mouth.

Drip.

Drip.

Blood poured from the hole in Lancers right side. His arm was gone. Devoured by that dog.

Lancer screamed.

Not from the pain. He had endured worse than that.

No, Lancer screamed because of the horror. The sheer wrongness of that alien being devouring his arm. It was unthinkable for him. To witness that mad monster of blood and darkness…even he had his limits.

"Don't tell me THIS is all you've got!? Where's those reflexes you showed earlier!? That immortality!? Surely you can regenerate! Come on! It's just an arm! Grow it back! The night is still young! Let's indulge in the feast of slaughter, let us drink of blood! Fight me! Fight me, fight me, fight me, fight me, FIGHT ME!"

Berserker addressed the still screaming Lancer.

"Fuck…FUCK YOU!"

Lancer screamed defiantly. Berserkers gaze changed to one of anticipation to one of disappointment.

"Hmm. I thought you would prove a challenge for me. You were a cut above other dogs, but a dog is still a dog. Now you're not even a dog. You're dog food."

Saying this, Berserkers arm prepared to devour Lancer.

The hound from hell, with multiple gleaming eyes, dove down at its prey.

And then he stopped.

A voice had, at that moment, rang out in Berserkers head.

'_By this Command Seal, come to me, Berserker!"_

"NO! Not now!"

Despite his struggle, a Servant could not resist the call of a Command Seal.

Therefore, the Servant Lancer was spared of his fate, as at that moment the Mad Servant was carried away.

Struggling to his feet, Lancer assessed the situation. The Prana coming from his Master had stopped, probably some time ago. He was terribly wounded, and almost out of his own Prana. Like this, the Servant of the Lance would survive only for half an hour before disappearing.

"Tch. Forgive me, Jashin-Sama, for I have sinned…"

He prepared to make peace with his god…

But he was interrupted by the sound of footsteps, and a heavy cane banging on the floor.

Lancer looked up, and saw a decrepit old man standing before him. The man looked like he was going to keel over and die any time soon, yet he sensed an aura of danger coming from him. Yes, this old man, was an accomplished Magus, and a dangerous one.

"Greetings, Servant of the Lance."

The old man then held up his right arm. Clear as day, there burned the sigil that had before been branded on his previous Master. The Command Seals. The old man's lips turned upwards into a cruel smile, as he posed a question to the Servant.

"I am a Magus, finding myself in need of a Servant. Would you like to volunteer?"

**The First Battle of The Fourth War has been fought**

**The Fourth Night brings forth, Black and Red Monsters**


	4. 04: Red and Black Monsters

**Title: **Fate Perfect Zero

**Author: **InfernalChaos

**Disclaimer: **This work utilizes characters, places, themes, and other such ideas from various anime, games, books, and movies. The said games, books, and movies serve as inspiration for this work of fiction. The author lays no claim on the characters, places, themes, and ideas which may be presented in this work. No money is being made in this work.

**Authors Note: **Sorry for the late update. School has kept me busy the past month. I shall most likely be updating every 2-3 weeks now because of my busy schedule, but I'll let you know I have no plan to abandon this story. I have the whole thing planned out and outlined already, and the story does have a definite ending, so I will not be abandoning it. Also, PLEASE review. Pretty sad my last chapter only got two reviews so far.

**-Chapter 04: Red and Black Monsters-**

**-Matou Kariya-**

_There was field, full of graves._

_ A man stood on top of him, dressed in a black suit, covered by a red coat._

"_All flesh is grass. And all the cunningness thereof as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, but the Word of our God abideth forever."_

_ The stake found its way to his heart._

_ His mouth opened to scream, but no scream came out. Blood instead flew past his lips._

"_Have I been…bested…sir?"_

_ He asked the man who stood victoriously above him._

"_Yes, you are bested. This is not a nightmare you will be awaking from. Your castles are plundered, your dominions in ruin, your servants destroyed. And the girl has fled this place forevermore! She will never be yours Count!"_

_ The man brought his hand down to strike the stake home._

_ The pain was excruciating. He could do nothing but scream._

_ He flew back from the force of the blow, yet two hands grabbed him._

_ Why? Would this man mock him even in death?_

"_You are judged and found wanting, Vampire King! You have nothing! You __**are**__ nothing! __**Nothing**__!"_

_ Blood. _

_ Red on black._

_ Blood red remained in that darkness of death._

_ A man facing against a monster._

_ No, both were monsters now._

_ The monster of God and the monster that denies God. Quiet fitting._

_ He heard a voice, calling out in the darkness._

"_Here standeth the Bird of Hermes! Eating my own wings! To keep…myself tame…"_

_ A name._

_ Someone was frightened…and he was calling him a name._

_ It was a name of a monster, yet it seemed…somehow fitting for this man._

_ Yes, the name of a monster should indeed fit a monster such as him._

_ Again, that terrified screaming, that terrified man, dressed in priestly robes._

"_You…you DRACULA!"_

Kariya woke up in pain.

Where was he?

Images of red and black remained upon his vision, but he was not there, on a bloody field.

He was…where?

Green light, dark, damp…

Why…does this place seem so familiar?

Wriggling, slithering all over his body.

Now he understood. Kariya was in the Matou Manor. More specifically, Kariya was in Matou Zouken's worm pit.

As if Kariya's thoughts had summoned him, Zouken entered into the room.

"Well Kariya, I didn't expect you to get very far in the War, but I didn't expect you to lose this early. Truly, your Servant is most frightening…if he had a proper Master…"

"Zouken…you…"

Kariya could only stammer in pain, as Zouken continued to mock and belittle him.

"Well, it's a good thing I kept this, then. Open up, Kariya."

Zouken's crutch pushed into Kariya's throat, forcing him to open his mouth.

Kariya almost fainted again from the pain. Zouken's worm familiars kept jumping in his mouth, end after end. The Crest Worms, Kariya's fake Magic Circuits, started to pulse like never before.

"Do you know, Kariya, that piece of Prana you swallowed just now came from a Lust Worm. The one that first absorbed Sakura's innocence. How about that, Kariya? The vitality of a young girl, absorbed continuously over the course of this past year – it is the best magecraft energy of all, yes?"

The elderly Magus smiled at the tortured face of Kariya. The cruelty of his actions seemed to satisfy his sadistic heart, and he turned to leave the worm room.

As Zouken left, Kariya sobbed.

In his pain and torture, Kariya never noticed the fact that Zouken had Command Seals on his arm. Kariya too, never noticed that he was not alone in the worm room.

In a distant corner of the room, there was a young man, who lay there shivering. His mind broken, his body crushed, this man was once a Master in the War. Now, he lay there violated by worms, leeching Prana off of him, feeding it to Kariya. Not once did Kariya notice Uryu Ryunosuke lying in the corner of the room.

Most importantly, due to the despair and hatred that filled Kariya's mind, he had forgotten why they had fought Lancer in the first place. He had forgotten about the extra Command Seal.

**-Matou Zouken-**

The small, elderly man made his way across the large manor.

This man was none other than Zouken Matou, the current head of the Matou family. He was considered to be the 'Uncle' of Kariya, yet this man's name constantly kept reappearing in the Matou family tree. No one knows how old this man really is.

This old vampire caressed his hand, upon which were inscribed the Command Seals, marking one as a Master in the Fourth Holy Grail War. These Command Seals were stolen ones, taken from the previous Master of Lancer. Said Master was now residing in the Matou worm pit, his Prana constantly being drained and fed to his nephew, Kariya. Kariya, of course, knew nothing of this.

At the thought of his wayward heir, Kariya frowned. The Matou Magecraft was slowly dying, and he knew it. Yet that useless Kariya had actually run away from the responsibilities of the Matou art, despite him being the only one capable of continuing it. To think, that the once prideful Matou's had fallen this low, it disappointed him.

It was of no consequence though. Once he won the Grail, the Matou's would no longer be needed, as his quest for immortality would be complete. Yes, he, Matou Zouken, would win this Grail War.

So the old man began his preparations. Calling upon the mental link between him and Lancer, he called to him his Servant.

"What the fuck do you want now?"

The Servant appeared. Truth be told, Zouken himself did not like this Servant. It was far too arrogant, and not as powerful as the other contenders in this Grail War. Under a proper Master like himself, however, who knew how to utilize proper strategy, even a lowly Servant such as that one could attain victory.

"Lancer, how goes your new arm? Is it acceptable, hm?"

When Matou Zouken had propositioned teaming up to Lancer, it was right after the battle with Berserker. Lancers arm had been cut off, or rather, bitten off, by that monster. Zouken had decided then to grant Lancer an arm composed entirely of Worm Familiars, much like Zouken's body was.

"An arm's an arm, old fuck. This is but a small price to pay for the grievous sin I have rendered upon Jashin-Sama. I have been unable to give Jashin the blood of that heathen monster."

This Lancer said with an unusually straight face.

This served merely to aggravate Zouken. Lancer was only ever serious in matters concerning his 'god', this Jashin. He treated almost everything else as if they were not worth his time.

"Lancer, go and acquire some more 'Prana sources' for my nephew. After all, dear Ryunosuke can only last so long, and Kariya requires as much Prana as possible. Go, go and bring me some more potential sacrifices."

In response to Zouken's command, Lancer disappeared immediately.

"This Grail War shall be the victory of the Matou!"

Zouken confidently declared. The plan was set in motion. The opponents were reacting exactly as he expected. All that was left to do was wait for Kariya and Berserker to do their jobs.

**-Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald-**

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald.

He was a Magus born of the illustrious Archibald family, scion of the Archibalds, holder of the title Lord El-Melloi. A man such as him took great pride in his abilities as a Magus.

This prideful man was now worried.

His entire plan for winning the Grail War had been destroyed in a single night. His student, Waver Velvet, had stolen his original catalyst to summon Iskander, King of Conquerors. His second relic, intended to summon Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, had also failed.

Instead, of receiving the Servant Lancer, he had drawn the card for Caster.

This Caster he had received seemed to be strong enough, but Kayneth knew he could not win against Servants like Saber, who had innately high Magic Resistance.

Thus, he had to degrade himself by allying with another Master, Waver Velvet. The fool who had dared to steal his relic could not get even the simple summoning ritual right, and had failed to obtain Iskander. His ineptness as a Magus was probably what had messed up such a ritual.

He was worried, because even though he had two Servants at his control, he had seen the strength of the other combatants.

Particularly, he had observed the battle with Berserker and Lancer.

He had sensed an outburst of dark Prana, and had sent several familiars to investigate. What he saw chilled him. Two Servants, who apparently could not die. He dared not interrupt such a battle of monsters.

Apparently, in order to survive, he needed to use his trump card much earlier than expected. He focused on the mental link between him and his Servant, relaying his orders.

'_Caster. I want you to keep watch on all the remaining Masters. Set up Bounded Fields in the immediate area, and begin the construction of your Temple. Much work remains to be done if we are to survive this war.'_

Wordlessly, the Servant appeared before him.

Even though he controlled this Servant, he could not help but get chills down his spine every time he appeared. He was truly hideous, for lack of a better word. His skin possessed a golden sheen to it, and his eyes…those eyes looked at you as if they saw you dying before him.

Then, the Servant spoke.

As he chanted, he felt the air around him grow thick and become saturated with magic.

The ground rumbled.

There erupted a tall tower.

This tower was hidden from those who were not practitioners of Thaumaturgy. Yet to those who saw this tower, they would gaze upon it and feel its evil gaze back.

Black as night, with twisted spires reaching towards the top, the magic it exuded was far beyond what Kayneth was capable of.

"So…this is the power of a Magus from before the Age of the Gods."

Kayneth muttered to himself in awe. He could tell it had once been beautiful, yet a dark curse lay upon it. The beauty of the tower was twisted, defiled.

The tower exuded the essence of dark magic.

This tower was to be their base of operations. Casters Temple, the place in life which he had conducted his Magecraft in.

There on Ryuudou Temple, rose the twisted and accursed Tower of Palanthas, along with the spectres that had haunted it. There rose the domain of the Master of the Past and the Present.

**-Emiya Kiritsugu-**

Emiya Kiritsugu was a Magus unlike all other Magus. Whereas other Magus' saw Magecraft as both the means and the ends, Kiritsugu saw it as merely a tool to be used.

This man, Kiritsugu Emiya, was a freelancer, an assassin. He was absolutely ruthless in dealing with his targets, as one of his more infamous deeds shows, when he blew up an entire jet liner because his target was on the plane.

If one were to describe Kiritsugu Emiya, the words that would come to mind would be, "the perfect killing machine."

Having gained a reputation as the 'Magus Killer', truly this man was someone who should be feared.

On this particular occasion though, it was Kiritsugu himself who was afraid.

Unlike the other Masters, Kiritsugu was not worried about the strength possessed by the Servant Berserker. No, he was plagued by an entirely different set of concerns. He was afraid of the man named Kotomine Kirei.

When he had received reports on all the Masters, it was Kotomine who frightened him the most.

This man, Kotomine Kirei, was an accomplished man. He had become an Executor of the church at a young age, switching departments several times. For three years, he had studied Magecraft under Tohsaka Tokiomi, and then broke away from him upon receiving the Command Seals. He was trained in Alchemy, Spiritual Evocation, Summoning, Divination, and was more adept at Healing Magecraft than Tohsaka.

According to Kiritsugu Emiya's standards, this Kotomine Kirei was a dangerous man. Not because of the number of achievements he received, but because of the way he kept on pursuing something with so much effort, then, when there was just one step left to reaching excellence, he discarded it like trash and moved on to something else. He was an empty void, probably filled only by anger and despair. If this despair filled man touched the Grail…Kiritsugu shuddered to think at what might happen.

Yet, there was something even more terrifying to Kiritsugu than this Kotomine Kirei.

Kiritsugu Emiya was completely terrified of the Servant Saber.

Saber. Their original plan had been to use the sheath Avalon to summon the legendary King Arthur. This plan had failed. Instead of King Arthur, they had gotten the mysterious, silver haired swordsman, who wielded a sword as long as himself.

The stats of Saber were certainly excellent, since almost all of them were A-Ranked. It was two skills in particular that made Kiritsugu worry. _Independent Action_, a skill commonly possessed only by Archer's, and _Mental Pollution_, both ranked A. These two skills would make his Servant hard to control. It was strange, however, that his Servant was…docile, so far.

Kiritsugu also wondered if it was worth obtaining the Grail, if Saber's wish would also be fulfilled. He had asked Saber what his wish was, and his Servants reply was that he had no wish. This instantly made Kiritsugu distrust him, as all Servants had a wish, otherwise they would not be summoned by the Grail.

Kotomine Kirei and Saber, both these men seemed empty and without ambition, and that was something that made Kiritsugu shudder.

A phone call rang out from the bedside table of the hotel he had been staying in, interrupting his stray thoughts. He picked it up.

"There is movement at Ryuudou Temple, and also at the Matou front. They have yet to retrieve the Command Seal."

The one who called was none other than his 'apprentice', Hisau Maiya.

"It seems Caster is at work then. Are the surveillance cameras in place?"

"Yes. I have set up a perimeter around Ryuudou. No entrance or exit is unwatched."

"Good. Maiya, I want you to send a familiar to watch the church too. Don't get too close, but make it sure anything going on can be seen. I have a suspicion things there aren't as they seem to be."

"Yes sir."

"Report to me upon receiving any further developments."

"Yes. I have also sent the recording of last night's battle, along with the equipment."

"Good."

Saying so, Kiritsugu cancelled the call. It was inconceivable to any self-respecting modern Magus to use devices such as mobile phones; therefore Kiritsugu assumed it would be safe from prying ears. Just to be safe, he had also made it so that these phones used by him and Maiya were untraceable. Secrecy was a top priority in this War.

Kiritsugu opened up the package that Maiya had sent. It had been transported through several contacts of the Einzberns, and he had paid a good deal of money to obtain these weapons.

Lying there on the opened package was a rifle of the highest quality. The base was a Walther WA2000 semi-automatic sniper rifle. The total length was above 90 centimeters. The .300 Winchester Magnum shell has an effective range of 1000 meters. For this high class rifle, the price was $12,000, due to it being one of the only 154 units produced of this gun.

This new, shiny weapon was not Kiritsugu's trump card. His greatest weapon was the Thompson Contender. This gun was meant to be a pistol for target shooting sport, but Kiritsugu had magically modified it to make use of 'magic bullets.'

The bullets used were .30-06 Springfield. A cartridge whose power exceeds that of a normal handgun bullet. This one surpassed even the hand canon class of a Magnum bullet.

The true strength of this weapon was not in the destructive power it possessed.

Its strength lay in the fact that this was Kiritsugu Emiya's Mystic Code. A weapon that had earned him the formidable title of 'Magus Killer'. The ultimate anti-mage weapon, that was its true purpose.

After quickly going over the status of his weapons, Kiritsugu observed the video left to him by Maiya.

Unlike other Magus who utilized solely on familiars, Kiritsugu used surveillance cameras in conjunction with these familiars.

As he observed the grainy video, it appeared to be the same as the one relayed to him through his familiars eyes. One thing became clear to him, as he observed two battles. All the Masters had familiars watching the battle between Berserker and Lancer, and apparently not one had thought of observing Berserkers Master.

Kiritsugu watched as Kariya Matou was struck down by Lancers unknown Master, and how he was rescued by Zouken Matou.

It is there Kiritsugu sees that which the others did not see.

Zouken had carted away the unknown Master, and there on his hand, without a doubt, were that Masters Command Seals. This would mean that the Matou's now had control over two Servants, and would successfully hoodwink the church into giving them extra Seals. Clever.

It was a good thing in Kiritsugu's opinion that they had yet to appear before the church. Upon these pieces of information, new plans began formulating in his mind.

It seemed the Magus Killer was on the hunt once again.

**-Tohsaka Tokiomi-**

Tokiomi was not pleased.

His plan had been to use Archer in order to eliminate Lancer, obtaining for himself the extra Command Seal.

He had been beaten to it by none other than the Matou Master, the rival of the Tokiomi family. What he had observed from watching that battle was not good at all. It seemed that Lancer possessed a form of immortality, while Berserker had regenerative abilities. He had no doubt that Archer possessed a weapon that could destroy Berserker, but it was troubling nonetheless.

Lancer posed no problem to Tokiomi's plan, as would most probably disappear. The wounds dealt to him were too severe, and he guessed that his Master was not a Magus. No Magus would conduct themselves in such a demeaning way, after all.

It was the extra Command Seal that posed the problem. According to Father Risei, the Matou representative had not yet come to the church to obtain their reward. Tokiomi did not know why this was so. The Master had used a Command Seal already at the end of that battle, as evidenced by Berserkers sudden disappearance. By all means, he should have gone to church already to retrieve the Command Seal to make up for the one he lost.

As the head of the Tohsaka family reflected on the problem posed to him by the Matou representative, an image popped up in his mind. It was something he had seen through the eyes of his familiar, a terrifying thing indeed.

He remembered that monster of a Servant, Berserker. Crouched on the floor, shadowy hands emerging from his body, lapping up the blood spilled by his enemy, it was a sight straight out of a nightmare.

It was an action reminiscent of monsters…of vampires.

From that stray thought, a plan began to form in Tohsaka's mind.

A plan that would unleash all hell upon this Grail War.

A plan that would bring down the wrath of God upon the heads of the Matou.

He smiled, and poured himself a bottle of wine. Yes, this could work to their advantage.

"He…hehe…hehehehehe…"

**-Assassin-**

A lone figure walked along the Fuyuki Central Train Station.

The station was devoid of life, save for this one man.

Dressed in jeans, a grey hoodie, and a black leather jacket, he looked like any other man one might find on the street.

Yet this man was a Heroic Spirit, the Servant Assassin. His regenerative abilities had allowed him to survive his apparent 'death' at the hands of Archer.

He had come here on orders from his Masters, who had received orders himself from Tokiomi. Apparently, there had been a change in plan.

As he reached the center of the station, he knelt down slowly on the ground.

He placed down one hand upon the floor, and invoked his Noble Phantasm.

"_Blacklight-DX-1118"_

Immediately, a red toxin seemed to spread from his body. This toxin quickly dispersed into the air.

His job done, the Servant Assassin turned into spirit form, and reported back to his Master.

On that place in the station where Assassin laid his hand, something grew.

This something seemed to be an organic material of some sort.

Black organisms.

Spreading, multiplying, and corrupting.

The tendrils, once few, were still small, yet now greater in number.

It crept its way up the tracks, creeping and crawling.

This twisted thing was the virus known as Blacklight.

As the Servant Assassin travelled to the church, a stray thought crossed his head.

'_This War, is going to be a lot bloodier.'_

Yes, for upon the unknowing Fuyuki City, Blacklight, and ZEUS, had been unleashed.

**Monsters are unleashed, plans are in the making. Next Chapter shall show Those Who Turn on Humanity.**


End file.
